


stop me running from the things that could save my life

by CactusJuice7



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Fluff, Gen, July 22nd 2020 episode of NXT, Kayfabe Compliant, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Normalise Straight Men Being Affectionate Towards Each Other 2020, and anyone else who was also hurt by kross choking dom out in front of keith, but that was not this author's intention, i GUESS you could interpret this as pre-slash, look man i just needed to resolve this for myself, or even pre-poly tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26018686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CactusJuice7/pseuds/CactusJuice7
Summary: “It’s my choice. I said no.”It was a bad choice. A dumb, reckless, stubborn choice.Keith looks after Dominik after his brutal match against Kross.
Relationships: Dominik Dijakovic & Keith Lee, Keith Lee/Mia Yim
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	stop me running from the things that could save my life

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I recently just got back into actually watching wrestling (as opposed to just keeping myself vaguely up to date through social media) and the end to Kross vs. Dijakovic kinda broke my heart so I wrote something to make myself feel better. Enjoy.

After all but carrying Dominik to medical, Keith wanted nothing more than to leave the room while his friend was examined. He didn't need to hear the check list of injuries, the recovery plan, if Dom was going to miss a week or two or more. Keith had already seen the damage being dealt, up close and personal, thanks to Kross. But Keith also knew that if he left medical, his feet would take him to Kross without fail, and if that happened…

No. It was better that he stayed here. With Dom.

"Keith," rasped Dominik from the table, rousing Keith from his thoughts.

"It'd be best if you don't try to speak for a while, Dominik. You've bruised your windpipe." advised Sam, the medic, as Keith approached his friend.

"My choice," said Dominik as Keith came into view.

Keith knew he wasn't just talking about his decision to speak. "It was a bad choice. A dumb, reckless, stubborn choice, Dom," he sighed.

“I don’t think he’s concussed, though it’s difficult to be certain thanks to the blood choke. There’s a bit of overlap with symptoms,” said Sam, trying their best to ignore the tension in the room. They shined a penlight into Dominik’s eyes. “Pupil response is normal, no sensitivity to light noted. Do you feel any dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea?”

“None. And no,” he replied, looking back to Keith, 

“No?” Keith questioned, incredulous. “Dom, I watched that monster choke you out and now you could be out of action for any amount of time.”

“It’s not likely to be long, actually, but we’ll have to take it day by day,” Sam interjected quietly.

Dominik shrugged as best he could from where he lay on the table. “Don’t care. I needed to beat him.”

“Why?” asked Keith, crossing his arms.

Dominik didn’t respond, instead staring hard into Keith’s eyes before looking away, his mouth a set line.

Keith already knew. Of course he did. Dominik’s silence only further confirmed his suspicion. Even though they got along nowadays, were friends even, he knew Dominik still had a tiny chip on his shoulder, though he’d never admit it. The fact that he just wasn’t quite as good as Keith. The fact that in their feud, ultimately he’d come out second-best. The fact that even last week he wasn’t able to eek out a victory.

If Dominik had managed to score a win over Kross, then he’d have something that Keith didn’t.

"I fully appreciate that you guys are having a moment here, but if we could hit pause for a second so I can talk about recovery?”

Keith quickly broke his gaze to turn to Sam. “Sorry Sam. Go ahead.”

They briefly looked between Keith and Dominik, keen to escape the awkward tension between the two, but not before they did their due diligence. “Basically just the usual for now: rest, ice and painkillers. I definitely recommend icing your neck for that trouble spot, Dom, and your face too if you can handle it. Try to sleep with your torso elevated, it’ll help all the swelling go down. Ibuprofen or naproxen will help best but it’s up to you. I am required to tell you to follow all the instructions on the medication and to not exceed the recommended dose. If any symptoms worsen, particularly relating to head trauma, please let myself or another medic know as soon as possible.”

“Thanks Sam,” said Dominik quietly. He’d sat up during the medic’s little speech and was now standing to leave.

They smiled. “It’s my job, Dominik.”

Dominik smiled gently, then turned and left, presumably on his way to the locker room.

Keith sighed and made to follow him, but was stopped by a gentle hand on his arm. He turned back to Sam, who was looking out the door Dominik had disappeared through, a small frown pinched between their eyebrows. 

"Are you staying with him tonight, Keith?" they asked, looking back at him.

Keith nodded. "I’m taking him back to mine."

"I know you probably know this, but- well, with his current frame of mind, I don’t really trust Dominik to just come out and say that he’s starting to feel worse,” they said, fingers fidgeting.

“Of course. I’ll keep checking in with him, don’t worry,” Keith replied, laying a reassuring hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Thanks again, Sam."

A small smile tugged at the corner of their mouth. "It's just my job, Keith."

"But you do it so well," he grinned. Then, with a final squeeze of Sam’s shoulder, he took off after Dominik.

* * *

Keith didn’t catch up to Dominik until they were both back in the locker room. It was empty, revealing how late in the night it was. Dominik was sitting by his bag, elbows on knees and head in hands.

Keith took a deep breath. He hadn’t really seen Dominik like this before, and it made something twinge painfully in his chest. “You alright, Dom?”

Dominik didn’t move. “Why’d you come out?”

“What?” Keith was a little stunned at the question. It was… well the answer was obvious, wasn’t it?

“To ringside,” clarified Dominik, dropping his hands to look up at Keith. “Why?”

Keith stared hard at Dominik for several long seconds. “You know I care about you, right?”

Dominik stared back, mouth opening as if to say something, but ultimately closing again as he looked away.

Keith sat beside him and put his hand on his shoulder, hoping to coax an answer out. “Dom?”

Dominik hesitated, then cleared his throat. “Felt like…. you didn’t think I was good enough,” he admitted, staring at the ground and shifting uncomfortably. “Like you thought I couldn’t beat him.”

Keith shook his head vehemently. “No, no. Not at all, Dom. You nearly had him. You had an answer for everything he dished out, and to be honest with you, I think he got desperate. I think that’s why he pulled the stunt with the stairs, because he’d tried everything else already and you kept getting back up.”

Dominik stayed silent, still not looking at Keith but obviously thinking about what he had said.

“I came out to ringside because- because I was scared, Dom,” Keith admitted.

Dominik’s eyes snapped back to Keith, frowning. “Scared? You?”

“Yeah,” Keith replied with a small laugh. “You pushed Kross to a point I hadn’t seen before, and I didn’t know what was going to happen, how far he was going to take it.”

“Oh.” Dominik looked down, hand coming up to rub at his neck.

“I never lost faith in you. Not for a second,” said Keith earnestly, silently willing Dominik to accept his words.

Dominik nodded slowly. Then, after a moment of silence that stretched entirely too long, “Okay.”

Keith let out a breath. "Come on," he said, squeezing Dominik's shoulder as he got to his feet. "Go grab a shower and then we're going home." He held out his hand to help Dominik to his feet.

Dominik looked at the offered hand for a few moments, then smiled gently as he took it and pulled himself upright.

Keith sat back down to wait while Dominik did his thing. Finally he was able to turn his attention to his phone, which had been buzzing more or less constantly in his pocket ever since NXT had gone off the air. With a smile, he started tapping out a reply to Mia whilst keeping a careful ear out for Dominik.

* * *

A while later and the pair were finally in the car headed to Keith's house.

Dominik had been mindlessly staring out the window watching the minimal scenery rush past when he just about physically startled as he remembered something. "Mia?" he rasped.

"She was watching. Blew up my phone asking me how you were,” Keith replied, keeping his eyes on the road but smirking gently. “You should text her. She’ll feel better if she hears it from you."

Dominik nodded, pulling his phone out to do just that. And then stopped and frowned at it.

Keith glanced over at him. "You good?"

"I don't… Passcode?"

Keith's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "Don't you use a fingerprint to unlock?" he replied, forcing his voice to remain calm and even.

"Oh." Dominik's frown eased. "Yeah." 

Dominik's confusion over something as simple as unlocking his phone set off a small alarm bell in Keith’s head. “Are you still feeling okay?” he asked, remembering what Sam had said about worsening symptoms. Confusion was a symptom, right? _Kross is going to pay for this,_ he thought angrily.

“Yeah, I- Yeah. Tired,” answered Dominik, rubbing at his eyes.

“We’ve still got a bit until we get home, you can have a nap if you want.” Keith briefly looked over at his passenger, concerned. He wasn’t entirely convinced, but he decided to trust his friend and give him the benefit of the doubt. It was late and he had wrestled a very taxing match after all.

“Mm. Text Mia, then nap,” mumbled Dominik, stifling a yawn.

Keith nodded, refocusing wholly on the road. “Sounds good.”

Dominik finally fired off a reply to Mia, and the pair exchanged several messages back and forth. Eventually Dominik locked his phone again, and with a gentle sigh, made himself as comfortable as possible against the car door.

Keith took the time while Dominik dozed quietly to sort through his emotions. More than anything he felt a white-hot rage at Kross for disrespecting his friend like he did. It burnt through his veins, it boiled up from deep inside him and sat simmering under his skin. Perhaps what infuriated Keith the most was the fact that he knew Kross only went after Dominik to get to Keith. Kross didn’t think of Dom as a threat to himself or his reign of terror, he merely saw him as a stepping stone to what he truly wanted. It left Keith nearly shaking with anger. Dominik was one of the best wrestlers he’d ever had the good fortune of sharing a ring with. He absolutely meant it when he said he would fight forever with him. To take all the brilliance and skill that Dominik Dijakovic has and reduce it down to just a mild inconvenience? It was a brazen show of contempt.

But beyond the fury, there was also a frustration with Dom. He definitely meant it when he told Dom that he was scared of what Kross might do to him, but at the same time, he knew Dom. He knew that his friend would absolutely take more punishment than necessary out of pride. Or stubbornness. Maybe they were the same thing in this case. At any rate, Keith knew that him asking Dom to end the match was never going to go down well, that Dom was never going to accept his suggestion. But he had to try. For Dom’s sake and his own. 

* * *

Keith eventually pulled into the driveway of his home. As he cut the engine and climbed out of the car, Dominik stirred from where he had been resting against the car door. He groaned slightly, neck protesting at the odd angle he had been sleeping in, and rubbed at his eyes. Opening the car door, he was met with Keith already holding his bag.

“I would just take this inside for you, but I need a hand for my keys,” he smiled, holding Dominik’s bag out for him.

“I got it. Thanks,” Dominik grated out, voice even more hoarse from his time asleep. He collected his bag and the pair made their way quietly into the house. It was very likely that Mia wasn’t quite asleep yet, given the events of the evening, but it didn’t hurt to be considerate.

“Leave your stuff there, I’ll take it to your room. Go take care of yourself, get iced up,” said Keith, gesturing towards the kitchen before heading towards his bedroom to drop his bag off first.

Dom nodded, too tired and sore to protest the mothering. He gently set his bag down and made his way to the kitchen, aiming to dig in the freezer for an ice pack or a bag of peas at least. He should’ve grabbed something from medical before they left the arena; his neck was really making him pay for that oversight.

Keith strolled back into the room, collected Dominik’s bag and left again as Dominik pulled out an ice pack and wrapped it in a tea towel before holding it against his neck. He leant back against the kitchen bench as he closed his eyes at the relief the ice provided. Very briefly he wondered why he insisted on having the job he did. The thought often crossed his mind whenever he had been particularly roughed up. The doubt never lasted, his love for the sport always grossly outweighing the pain and discomfort it caused.

A solid weight bumping into his chest shook him from his thoughts, and he opened his eyes to see a familiar blue head of hair tucked against him.

“Mia,” he whispered roughly in greeting, bringing up his free arm to wrap around her shoulders.

“Idiot,” she replied, slightly muffled from where her face was pressed into him. She pulled back slightly so she could look him in the face. “Don’t ever make me watch something like that again, okay?” she admonished.

Dominik smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good,” she replied, pulling out of his embrace. “Now sit down so I can rub some arnica into your face and neck.”

Dominik visibly grimaced at that but moved to sit down anyway.

“No need to pull faces, I know you don’t like the smell,” said Mia, unscrewing the cap of the ointment. “But you’re gonna go to sleep soon, so you can just suck it up for a little while.”

Dominik didn’t say anything, just sighed gently and tried his best not to flinch when Mia got to an especially tender spot.

The sight of his girlfriend tending to his best friend made Keith’s heart swell when he re-entered the room. Not wanting to disturb them, he sat quietly and waited for them to finish up.

“There we go,” said Mia, grabbing a towel to wipe her hands off and screwing up the jar of arnica. She fetched a bottle of painkillers from a cupboard and slid them across the counter towards Dom. “Ibuprofen. Take two,” she instructed, pouring a glass of water for him too.

Dom didn’t say anything, just dutifully did as she said, shaking out a couple of pills and swallowing them down with the offered water. Absently he wondered if he should’ve had something to eat first. He never liked taking painkillers on an empty stomach.

“Grab him some saltines too, Mia,” Keith called out from his spot in the lounge. “He hasn’t eaten in a while.”

Mia looked at Dominik with an eyebrow raised. Dominik had the decency to look a little sheepish, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat. Mia grabbed down a box of crackers and put them down in front of him. “You know, you don’t even have to ask, you can just help yourself,” she said, tone just shy of chastising.

Dominik nodded, reaching into the box to pull a few crackers out. “Tired,” he managed to get out around a mouthful.

“I know,” Mia replied. “Me too, so I’m gonna go back to bed now. You got him, Keith?”

“Always.”

Dominik tried to stifle his smile at Keith’s answer.

“Alright,” Mia smiled. “Goodnight, Dom,” she said, ruffling his head gently before disappearing back into the master bedroom.

The pair sat in silence, Dominik slowly chewing his way through several crackers. When he closed up the box, Keith got up. “Come on then, time for bed.”

Dominik nodded again, slipping the ice pack that had been precariously balanced on his neck onto the counter. He followed Keith to the spare room. 

“Bathroom is just across the hall, as you know,” said Keith as Dominik fished out a change of clothes and his toothbrush from his bag. “I’ll let you get sorted.”

Keith left to tidy up the things in the kitchen. Dominik did feel slightly guilty for not cleaning up after himself, as he used the toilet, washed his hands, brushed his teeth and got changed. But he also knew that he’d likely get told off by Mia, or Keith, or both, for trying to help out. Which was slightly ridiculous, he wasn’t a bedridden invalid. But it was sweet nonetheless. 

Dominik had already climbed into bed by the time Keith returned, bearing a refilled glass of water.

“Comfortable?” he asked, putting the glass down on the bedside table.

Dominik shifted against the stack of pillows at his back and grimaced slightly. Mia must have gathered all the spares they had and put them in here before they got home. It wasn’t ideal but Sam had recommended he sleep with his torso elevated. “I’ll survive.”

"You still feeling okay? Not dizzy or anything?" Keith asked.

Dominik shook his head slightly. "All good."

“Alright then,” said Keith. “Time to get some rest.” He gently patted Dominik’s hair, then, after pausing a moment to think about it, bent down to drop a gentle kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight.”

 _Oh._ Dominik desperately hoped that the lighting was dim enough that Keith couldn’t see the faint blush colouring his cheeks as he stood up again. “Night,” he managed to rasp out, trying to stifle the smile that was threatening to spread across his face.

Keith was on his way out of the room and had his hand on the bedroom door when Dominik called out to him.

“Keith?”

He turned back around to face the bed. “Yeah?”

“Love you,” said Dominik lowly, muffled by blankets and almost too quiet to be heard.

Keith smiled. “I love you too, brother.” He finally left the room and closed the door behind him, and took a deep breath. Dom was fine. They were fine. In this moment, all was well. And that was all he wanted. All he needed.

And if Dominik was settled in bed, smiling in the satisfaction that only a close friend can provide, well, that was nobody’s business but his own. Being Keith’s friend? That was his choice.

And he’d decided it was a damn good one.

**Author's Note:**

> Look guys, imma be real: it was kinda hard to write something kayfabe compliant when you haven’t really been paying attention to kayfabe so…. *shrug emoji*. Any glaring inconsistencies or anything blatantly incorrect, please let me know. 
> 
> Related video that I thoroughly enjoy and you will too: https:// www. youtube. com/ watch?v=KJs6xwshkpU


End file.
